Updated: 1 September 2007

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Introduction:

If you want to join the discussion group or if you have additional key events or corrections to the sequence, please send your information to clintg777@aol.com

Thanks. Clint Gray

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Importance of the Work

From this project  I hope to install in  every member of the church (even members of other Christian religions) a revived desire to earnestly study the second coming of Christ.  I have come to understand why individuals outside of the church have limited the importance of this topic, based on a false understanding of what they call the "Rapture", but I hope to remove some of the misunderstandings within members of the church concerning the need to more fully study this important event.  Most of the lack of interest however I believe comes from a misunderstanding of statements from modern prophets in the last two decades.
Many of the prophets in the last couple of decades have warned the membership about going off the edge in this effort.  We are not, for example, to go into debt to obtain a years supply of food, or to sale our house and migrate to Independence, Missouri.  There have also been numerous splinter groups that have been created around this topic that have also raised concern with the Brethren.  It has been these types of cautions, from the church, that provide the misunderstanding within the church concerning their responsibility around this topic.  Many have taken the stance that "the Prophet will warn us concerning the second coming and until He does I won't worry about it".  I feel that this type of attitude is not what was intended. We must all take to heart the warning in D&C section 45 and ensure that we will not be counted with those that will be cut off.
 

And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man........................... and he that watches not for me shall be cut off. (D&C 45:39-44)

The following few quotes are just a short preface to show the importance of the work and what our role should be in it:

"...There is not a more important course to pursue, for any of us who now live on earth, than to prepare for the Second Coming.."   (Bruce R. McConkie. The Millennial Messiah. p.xxiii)

Brother McConkie goes on to say that the gospel has been restored and the kingdom established to prepare for the work, however this work is not understood . He also stated that the work is totally misunderstood by Christians in general and within the Church we need more enlightenment.  I think this sets the tone for what needs to be done.  In my estimation this leaves no room for "Wait to see what the Prophet tells us".  We have been told, we need to get on with the work.  Brother McConkie goes on to point out what our fate will be if we fail to do our duty and better understand the signs of His coming.

"The very fact that men refuse to believe the many signs of the times is itself one of the signs promised to precede the advent of our Lord. ….. And how many there are, like the Jews of old, who fail to discern the signs of the times!…..as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man "  (Bruce R. McConkie. The Millennial Messiah. Pg. 449 - Pg. 450)

I believe that it is our task to become prepared so that we are not found wanting like in the days of Noah.  This is a task that we all should take seriously. Many of the members have a true desire to understand the signs but have become discouraged due to the size and complexity of the job.  Indeed I know of many that have dove into the work only to find themselves floundering, under the weight of sorting through all the work,  years later giving up in defeat.  Some of these individuals have given the work a rest returning after a few years hiatus to continue the work, others abandon the work adopting the hope that the Prophet will spell it out for them when the appropriate time comes.  I believe the latter will lead us to the ark long after the doors have closed.

So what should we do?  I believe Elder Maxwell has provided a great guide for this journey:

"Our task is to react and to notice without overreacting, to let life go forward without slipping into the heedlessness of those in the days of Noah. ….. To ponder signs without becoming paranoid, to be aware without frantically matching current events with expectations, using energy that should be spent in other ways--these are our tasks."   (Neal A. Maxwell. For the Power is in Them. p.20)

With the task at hand, and I think D&C section 45 makes it pretty clear what our role should be; look for the signs or be cut off, I think Elder Maxwell's advice is a sound approach to the work.  How then can we be aware without frantically matching current events with expectations?

I propose the work be treated as a large mosaic, not a standard mosaic of colored glass or of marble, but a mosaic of latter-day prophecies, brought together to form a complete picture of the last-days. The successful completion of this work will be as important to us as understanding Christ's first advent was to the House of Israel in the meridian of time. Many have taken snapshots of the mosaic and have made trees, snakes, walls and ropes out of the elephant they have been asked to identify.

Like a group of blind men having been asked to identify an elephant brought before them, many of us focus to closely on the individual pieces and miss the whole.  They can't see the forest for the trees. We, like them, are being tasked to identify the true animal. Each piece of the mosaic has a reason for being, the full picture will not be complete until all the pieces fit into a complete whole.  Once we understand the full picture, with all the pieces in place, then we will have reached the point of being aware.

The purpose of the mosaic, or previously called the template view, is to look at all Last-Days prophecies holistically.  We don’t want to be found like most of Christianity misplacing individual Prophecies (to include verified dreams.  And I mean verified through the confirmation of the Holy Ghost.  And verified dreams are prophecies for those to whom they apply and to the receiver’s stewardship).  One good example is the rapture.  The rapture is a true event it is the placement of it that is wrong.  Most Christian groups will find themselves unprepared for many tests due to their misplacement of this key event.  Had they looked at all prophetic events they wouldn’t have excluded themselves from many of the events that we all need to go through (the refiner’s fire).

I do believe that many LDS will create their own “Rapture” stumbling blocks by not following this key step.  All personal revelations must be balanced within the mosaic

Again I challenge the group to help refine the mosaic/template on the web site and then let’s try to see where in the complete picture these types of individual prophecies apply.  Many individual prophecies won’t find a home and will only be understood by the individuals to whom they where intended.  Others that have regional implications should find a home.

In order for us to view the complete whole I have adopted a method of study that has raised concern with some in my group. Some have wanted to run off on every slight tangent and investigate minute possibilities while others leave the group at the first sign of questioning what someone has said. In my studies I have come across statements that appear to contradict statements made by others. Indeed I have found some statements, made by prominent authors,  that even appear to contradict statements made by themselves in other works.  Talking about these apparent contradictions and trying to analyze what is presented is, in my estimation, a large part of what this work is about.  We may find, like Brigham Young’s statement of Adam being God, that some items will need to be flagged as anomalies and leave it at that.  My approach has been to identify these items and try and understand them without fueling an apostate movement or even more important causing one to abandon the work entirely.

To fully understand this topic we must investigate all that has been said concerning the topic and try to understand what has been written. Let me try to define the approach. I have asked that items on the list be limited to canonized scriptures,  to include church hymns and church magazine articles. Statements made by the latter day prophets that are not included as canonized scripture will be allowed but need to be understood as such and may need to be dealt with in a different light. In the event that these type of items are included they need to be identified with the source so that all might know of there authenticity. Other lessor know items like the white horse prophecies need to be linked to a canonized event and not be allowed to stand alone and drive the study into unwarranted lines of speculation.

With that being said; Let the journey begin.
 

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The Key Events

This section is a listing of key events leading up to the last days and through the second coming.  This section will be a snapshot in time of this ongoing living event list.

The events are listed in chronological order.  Many of the events may not be in their proper place and might need to be moved, thus the living nature of the list.  As I have built this last days mosaic I have adjusted the pieces of the puzzle to try and arrive at a complete picture, that will include all prophecies, but have yet to arrive at a final solution.

I have attempted to keep my own personal thoughts out of this section, I tried to include only items pertinent to the event itself, however some events do not permit this approach and need further clarification thus my comments are included in some locations.  For the most part my own views have been reserved for the section of this work dealing with that topic.  As a study group resource I would also like to see others views included.  I request from anyone that is willing to share their own interpretation of the full set of events to provide me with their own view so that  they can also be included.

Many of the key events are simply listed with scriptural references, while others have other references and comments as required.  The reason for the additional references or comments are to help properly identify what the event is or clarify where in the list they belong.  Some events require no further clarification since they are well understood or are not debated.

With that in mind let's start the list.

We must first understand the foundation for the work in the last days a period known as the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.
 
 

The Dispensation of the fulness of times

Ephesians 1:10, D & C 27:13, 112:30, 121:31, 124:41, 128:18, 138:48

From an article in the 1989, Ensign, December issue, we have an explanation of this period:

"The dispensation of the fulness of times is a period of restoration and of gathering. Peter described the work in terms of a restoration: "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:20-21.)
Paul called this period of time a dispensation: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." (Eph. 1:9-10.)
The question is, What was to be restored in this dispensation of the fulness of times? Elder David W. Patten, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, answered that question in July 1838: "The dispensation of the fulness of times is made up of all the dispensations that ever have been given since the world began, until this time ... in the which all things shall be fulfilled that have been spoken of since the earth was made. ...
"Joseph Smith, the leader of this dispensation must be clothed with the power of all other dispensations, or his dispensation could not be called dispensation of the fulness of times. ..." (Robert J. Matthews. The Fulness of Times. Ensign, December 1989:  49)

The dispensation of the fulness of times will bring all things into one.  All that has been shall be. Every mosaic tile will be put into place, every prophecy will be played out during this time frame.  This is a key concept that many overlook., one which I am striving to fully understand.

John P Prat set the start time of the Dispensation of the fulness of times as being 3 April 1836. (John P Prat. Divine Calendars: Astronomical Witnesses of Sacred Events. AstroCal, Sept 2004: page 26)

Most of the prophecies dealing with events beyond the old and new testament times happen during the dispensation of the fullness of times, however one key event preceded it and that is the universal apostasy of the church. (Some may be asking; "What about all that has been shall be?"  My answer to them is; I don't know.  It is my understanding that the Universal Apostasy will not repeat itself in this dispensation. Just like Christ's birth it is only required once. This is a tangent that I wish to not explore at this time. Could it be possible that the parable of the Ten Virgins, members of the church, will fulfill this?  That event in and of itself wouldn't be universal but would be a key visible event not unlike the events in Nauvoo after the death of Joseph Smith. That is about as far as I want to go with this for now).

Universal Apostasy:

Isa 24:4-6, 29:13-24, 60:2-3, Amos 8:11-12, Matt 13:24-30, Acts 20:29-30, II Thes. 2: 1-12.,

Each piece of the mosaic is made up of individual events, each piece having its own unique shape color and interface(s).  Just like a complex puzzle many pieces will appear to fit in many places, (the interface or sequence may fit into the adjacent pieces) but when the final analysis is done, the overall color or flow will uncover the misplaced piece. Having set the foundation we now arrive at the last dispensation and move into the list of key events (The mosaic pieces):

6TH Seal Events
 

Following the format presented in the book of Revelations I will identify events that I see taking place in the 6th seal and then list events that I see from the seventh seal.  This basic format helps in the development of the mosaic, with it we can test the placement of our pieces.

Restoration work

Let’s start the work by filling in some of the key events that have already taken place. Let’s set the stage by reviewing what happened when Christ lived on the earth.  At the beginning of  that dispensation the Gospel was taken to the Jews, Christ made no effort to take the Gospel to any other peoples. It wasn’t until the Apostle Paul’s ministry that we have the Gospel taken to the gentile nations.  That brings us to this dispensation, the dispensation of the fullness of times, of which the first stage is directed to the gentile nations and begins the Gentile/Restoration period.  Lets review the first few events of this period.

Hear the words of the book; 2 Neph 26:16, 2 Neph 27:5-21, Isa 29:17-18

Elijah Returns: Mal 4:5-6, D&C 110:13-16

Keys restored: D&C 13; 27; 128

Gospel restored: Isa 2; 4; 5; 10; 11; 13; 18; 24; 29; 33; 34; 35; 51; 52;54; 60; 63; 64; 65; 66, Rev 14:6-8, D&C 133:36-41, Acts 3:19-21,

Gathering of the remnant of the House of Israel commences: D&C 110:11
 

In my estimation this is where we are in the sequence.  The gathering work has just begun and our journey now begins.  Notice the wording in 3 Nephi 21:26 "then shall the work of the Father commence".  Christ is in the process of preparing this remnant of the House of Israel for the Great and Marvelous work that is to come, the gathering of the House of Israel. The portion of the Great and Marvelous work initiated by Joseph Smith jr. is still in the commencement stage. If you take a close look at the actual gathering of the House of Israel in the Great and Marvelous Work, you will find that is doesn't start until after the Time of the Gentiles has been fulfilled (D&C 45:25) However we do find a remnant of the House of Israel already gathering in with the current missionary effort in preparation for this great work to come.  I don't mean to trivialize all that has been accomplished. I selected the main events that have taken place and listed them above.  There are many prophecies that have been fulfilled that are not included and could have been, but this work is not to focus on what has been or justify the church to others by showing their fulfillment but rather to focus on what is coming.

Additional sacred writings are yet to come forth, "in mine own due time": Isaiah 42:9, To include the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon?: 2 Neph 27:21, 26-35, 2 Neph 29:13, Ether 4:5-7.  Possibly Alma 37:23 revelation exposing the secret works of man in these later-days?

I don’t like starting out the list of events, that will soon happen, with an item that might be out of place, however this one is a prime suspect. My reasoning for placing this item here are two fold.

Gospel preached to all nations of the world: D&C 1:4-5, D&C 58:64, Matt 24:14. Mark 16:15

Do you think there is calamity abroad now among the people? Not much. All we have yet heard and all we have experienced is scarcely
a preface to the sermon that is going to be preached. When the testimony of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to
them, "Come home; I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the earth," all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the
sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earthquakes, hail, rain, thunders and lightnings, and fearful destruction. What matters the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificent cities, now idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations, and nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and states against states, in our own country and in foreign lands. (President Brigham Young: Journal of Discourses, Vol. 8, p. 123, July 15, 1860)

When God has called out the righteous, when the warning voice has been sufficiently proclaimed among tile Gentile nations, and the
Lord says, "It is enough," he will also say to his servants—"O, ye, my servants, come home, come out from the midst of these Gentile
nations, where you have labored and borne testimony for so long a period; come out from among them, for they are not worthy; they do
not receive the message that I have sent forth, they do not repent of their sins, come out from their midst, their times are fulfilled. Seal up the testimony among them and bind up the law." (Elder Orson Pratt: Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, p. 64, July 25, 1875)

In my mind the statement by then Elder Kimball points out that this is the final act that will indicate the time of the gentiles has come to a close. 

The judgments of God will be poured out upon the wicked to the extent that our elders from far and near will be called home. Or, in
other words, the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles and later on will be carried to the Jews. (Elder Heber C. Kimball: Deseret News, Church Department, May 23, 1931, p. 3)

We are now ready to move into the key period that is directed to the House of Israel..  Let’s take a closer look at the key event that will mark this transition.

Times of the Gentiles fulfilled: D&C 45:30, Rom 11, 1 Neph 13:42, Luk 21:24, 3 Neph 16:10

How will we recognize this transitional event? When the Gentiles reject the gospel!; sin against my gospel; (do the gentiles reject the gospel by accepting the anti Christ, receiving the mark of the beast and join his one world government? Or could it be a subtler act like choosing economic prosperity over moral and righteous leaders? Or will it be outright persecution of the Saints?)

This event warrants further exploration. Lets look at an analysis of 3 Nephi 16:10 by Hugh Nibley. Brother Nibley starts the analysis by looking at the statement  "Israel shall go through among them, and shall tread them down". He then frames this event by looking at the following statement:
 

  "Jack Anderson has said all along that he's far more frightened of what will come up from the south against this land than of the Russian threat to us. He said the Russians don't really threaten us, and, as we see now, they don't. But the threat will come when we're so weak they can go through us like a knife through butter, and this sort of thing. If our morals are weak and our economy breaks down, since we have nothing to live for except the economy [they can do it]."  (Hugh Nibley. Teachings of the Book of Mormon. Semester 4, p.104)

At first look this seems to be completely out of place.  I ask you to follow the footnotes associated with the Time of the Gentiles and the qualifier for rejecting the Gospel.  The statement that "Israel shall go through among them" requires our attention and understanding throughout this project.  I believe we have just been introduced to a key concept that carries throughout the work and that is the cleansing role of Israel, or a remnant of Israel, "The Lion of Jacob".  This idea will be explored later, but please keep it in mind, we will see it often and it appears to be the key to understanding when the Time of the Gentiles has come to a close.

Let’s list the key requirements for this event:

·  Gentiles reject the restored Gospel (D&C 45:28-29)

·   Lifted up in pride, full of wickedness and secret abominations (3 Nephi 16:10)

The main item we need to look at from the above items is the trigger for the time of the gentiles coming to an end.  The time of the gentiles was brought into the world with Paul and will end when the requirements above are met.
In exploring this idea let's look into the recent past. Do we see a type of what is to be with what has been? Orson Pratt explained, in the Journal of Discourses, a type of the future event that is yet to come. He reviewed the prophecy concerning the Gentiles in this latter day and the wicked condition they will be in, having rejected the fullness of the Gospel and being filled with all manner of lyings, mischiefs and whoredoms, commiting abominations of every kind at which point the Lord will bring the Gospel from among them.  He then goes on to point out that this prophecy was fulfilled in the mid 1800’s with the exodus to the Rocky Mountains:

  "You might have passed through the land therefor hundreds and hundreds of miles, from city to city, and inquired for an Elder who had authority to baptize for the remission of sins and to buildup the Church and kingdom of God, and the answer would have been--"There is not such person here." "Where are they?" "They have gone away beyond the Rocky Mountains," more than a thousand miles away from civilization as they called it. When we got here and again searched the prophecies we found that the Lord had been as good as his word, and had literally fulfilled that which he had spoken concerning taking his Gospel from the midst of those who had sinned against and rejected it. "  (Orson Pratt. Journal of Discourses: Vol.17, p.299 - p.300,  February 7, 1875)

Orson Pratt saw the removal of the Saints, from the gentiles (those not having been converted to the restored truths), as a fulfillment of that spoken of in 3 Nephi. Some today might even reference that event to show that the prophecy has been fulfilled.  I look to it as a type of the future event that will fulfill all of the prophecies.  When we see the gospel taken from the gentiles and then given to the House of Israel then we will know that the time of the gentiles has come to an end.  I also look for a replication of the type sited by Orson Pratt at that time.

In addition to what we have seen in the past I also think the following areas are indications of the Time of the Gentiles and help further define this key event.

The parable of the Ten Virgins was written for our time and about the members of the Church. The warning provided in Luke 21:36 and  Acts 2:21 should be headed by all. In the parable the Virgins represent members of the Church and only 50% of them make it through the troubled times that will come. During that period the righteous will be watching the signs of the times and will call upon the Lord and seek to be worthy to abide the day of his coming.  They will also take the Holy Spirit for their guide (D&C 45:57) and will stand in holy places (D&C 45:32).  The oil in their lamps will not be able to be shared, it will be their relationship with the Holy Ghost and their participation in sacred events like attending the Temple. 

This section needs further exploration.  Let's keep in mind this pivotal event that marks the close of the sixth seal "The time of the Gentiles" coming to a close and what events will accompany it.  Where will we find ourselves when this event actually happens?  Will this come at a point when we find ourselves setting on the outside of the door asking the Lord to open up and let us in?  If we do what will the Lord's response be?  To help answer that let's look at other key factors that might decide our fate.

Polarization's / Arm of the Lord Raised
Isa 51:9, Luke 12:51, John 12:38, 1 Neph 14:7, 2 Neph 30:10, D&C 1:14

We now move into the meat of the Great and Marvelous Work of the Lord. A period unlike any other, the period which the Jews looked to with great hope. The prophecies dealing with this phase of the work reference the lord making bare his arm or the arm of the Lord being made bear or being raised to a prominent place in the view of the world.  This act will cause a great polarization throughout the world which will be everlasting and final. I call this phase of the work the "Arm of the Lord Raised" phase to distinguish the events that will cause the polarization phase from those that will be included in the cleansing phase or what I call the "Arm of the Lord falls" phase.  Many of the prophecies dealing with this work move from one phase directly into the next some emphasizing one or the other.  Looking at the scripture references above you will see some relating to the period or event called the "Arm of the Lord" others relating to the "polarization" phase.  I have both under the same listing because of my belief that they are very closely related.  We may indeed be in a preparatory period of man made polarization's that will lead directly to the Lord's polarization, yet to come, the one which will be everlasting.

I have broken them out to help in the analysis of the events and their timing.  Much of the work will be accomplished for the Lord by servant figures.  That leads us to the next section of this work.

Servant Figures

(Prophecy is rich with Latter Day servant figures. I have lumped several servant types under this section as a holding place until they can be identified with an individual or specific event. My guess is that Many Prophets have seen the same person doing the same work and have captured it from a different view, thus multiple entries for the same person/event.)
I see this as another defining point in the mosaic. During my studies of the last days, I have recognized a major theme coming to the forefront, a transitional period in which the Lord takes a more prominent role. A period in which little doubt can be left as to the divine nature of the work A period in which the work is still in the hands of man but a time in which they do so with great and miraculous power. This work will cause a polarization such as the world has never seen before. The period I call the Polarization or Arm of the Lord Raised period.

This is one of the more difficult portions of the mosaic. Each servant figure is defined and can stand alone as a separate scene yet portions of this section have more than likely been described from different points of view.  It is as if these pieces could be three dimensional, or holographic, multiple views of the same scene or figure.  Try to imagine a two dimensional puzzle with the center section flowing into a three dimensional piece.  Imagine even further ones frustration in finding out well into the project, after completing the puzzle and then having left over pieces, that indeed the center section is three dimensional and requires more work.  Many times I have built sub sets of puzzles outside of the current project later adding them to the completed frame.  I think a large portion of this work is hard to understand due to the fact that many have completed the frame and filled in the center with a subset they have been working on assuming they have completed  the whole project and reluctantly sweeping the remaining pieces and completed sub sets aside assuming they belong to another puzzle not the current project.  Had they only known that they also fit into the center, in a third dimension, then they could have seen the full work that is yet to come forth.   Or even worse they have misplaced the section based on a holographic image viewed from the wrong angle.  For example; Christ has many titles, Davidic King, Father, First born, to name a few. Sections of the mosaic may include Christ depicted as all of these figures depending on your viewing angle.  To further complicate things the mosaic would allow the misplacement of a sub set or section of the piece into a location based on the incorrect viewing angle.  To state it another way Christ himself may be placed in a section defined for a different Davidic King based on the fact that the Christ sub set is also viewed as a Davidic King.  The key to the mosaic is viewing the complete picture from the same viewing angle.  When all subsets are correctly placed, the mosaic will make sense from any angle.

Let’s leave the puzzle analogy for now and keep in mind the work with the possibility that many views of the same scene may be just what is in store.

The way I see it is many, or a select few, servant figures will facilitate the polarization work of the Lord during this period.  It is unclear to me at this time of the number of the servant figures. The thing that is clear is that a Servant(s) will play a large role in this phase of the work

My Servant Gazelem: Alma 37:23

Reading Alma 37, 7/21/2007, I came across a new servant figure that had been left off the web page.

I believe the servant figure Gazelem (Alma 37:23) applies to our day and will be the key figure that will reveal the secret combinations in our latter day.  Look at the curse that is placed on this land: Alma  37:28. I think this curse applies to us in these latter-days. I know that there have always been secret works of darkness ever since Cain introduced this newly learned art , from Satan, to the world but looking at the section in Alma 37 dealing with this I have come to the conclusion that we are talking about a latter-day (beyond Joseph Smith) application.

Alma’s admonition to Helaman concerning the sacred records includes the insight about the use of these records (Alma 37:6-7). I think it includes the portion of the Great and Marvelous work yet to come forth.   When we get the full 24 gold plates of Ether, not just the abridged version that we now have in Ether, will we have revelation of the secret combinations that are/will happen just prior to the second coming?  The revelation of secret combinations could be the beginning of the Lords polarization and might even shed light on "upon my house". The leaders of these secret combinations will not stand by and allow their dark works to be exposed without a fight.

We know that Joseph Smith was called Galezem (D&C 78:9) but I think there will be another servant figure playing an important role in the Great and Marvelous work yet to come forth.

Hugh Nibley points out that Gazelem is a servant figure not the stone:

“Verse 23: "I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light." That's a person he is talking about; Gazelem is not the stone. His servant Gazelem has the stone; he is preparing it for him. …… Now the next verse is going to be highly relevant to future generations, whoever receives it here. (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 2, p.462)”

The curse on the land that Nibley talks about in the next verse applies to us today and most importantly to the latter days just prior to the second coming.  Could this servant figure be the one that plays the key role in the portion of the Great and Marvelous work yet to come forth?  Could this work be what starts out the whirlwind that is to come in the near future by revealing this secret combinations?

Another view on this topic can be found at "http://www.josephsmith.com/content/Joseph_Smith_Book_of_Mormon/Alma37.htm"

The marred servant: 3 Neph 21:10.

The marred Servant figure is one that I haven’t been able to find much on.  As a preface on this topic let me state that I would be perfectly comfortable identifying this figure as the House of Israel.  The House of Israel has fallen from prominence and can be looked at as marred when compared to their height of dominance.

Looking at the context of the scripture it is clear to me that this servant figure will play a key role in the restoration of the House of Israel in the latter days (or be the key event). According to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.2, ISAIAH, Both Christ Himself during His mortal ministry and a latter day servant figure are what Isaiah was prophesying about when He used the term. Since Christ Himself referenced the Isaiah text prior to talking about the latter day event, I assume He was referring to the latter day servant figure.  The Encyclopedia of Mormonism explanation leaves this event completed with the work of Joseph Smith and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.  As I read  3 Nephi chapter 21 I see the events taking place after the restoration and coming forth of the book of Mormon. Let’s review the sequence.  The Lord starts out with identification of the sign that will foretell the gathering work of the House of Israel. The restoration and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon is the sign of the event not the event. Let's look closely at 3 Nephi 21:5-8;
 

"Therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity; 7 And when these things come to pass that thy seed shall begin to know these things--it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel. 8 And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider."

So we see that the restoration work and coming forth of the Book of Mormon has already happened, the sign Christ was talking about has been fulfilled.  The Gentiles are aware of the work and the remnant of the House of Israel (Lamanites) are also made aware of the work. Now we should be looking for the Great and Marvelous work that will lead to the restoration of the House of Israel.
 

3 Nephi 21:9;  For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.

Yes I know this verse is used to show what happened with the Book of Mormon and I agree it fits, but lets continue on to what I think will be a more complete fulfillment of all the events. As we read on we have the Lion of Jacob theme playing a key role in the work, a time of gathering in great power, which has not happened yet and in my mind is the key portion of understanding the full event. The Lord then identifies the rest of this event with the vision of Isaiah. This is  a time of miraculous reversal of what has been the Gentile nations will take a back seat to the Work of the Lord and their might shall be made low.  We truly need to look at this full scene of the complete Great and Marvelous Work for what it is, the restoration of the House of Israel after the time of the Gentiles.

I expect that we will have both an individual and the House of Israel playing out this role in the latter days.  To wrap this section up for now, Let’s look at an explanation of this figure by Brother McConkie;
 

"Isaiah's prophecy about the marred servant is clearly Messianic and applies to Jesus ….. it may yet well be that there will be other latter-day servants to whom also it will apply."  (Bruce R. McConkie. The Mortal Messiah. Vol.4, p.354)

Brother McConkie pointed out that Joseph Smith was a marred servant and any others that have died doing the work of the Lord qualify as marred servants and will be made whole in the resurrection and may also qualify to fit this prophecy but to me it is clear that the servant figure the Lord is looking to has a key role to play in the restoration of the House of Israel and therefore refers to a future person/group.

Ensign raised: :Isa 5:26, 11:10, 18:3, 27:12-13, 30:17, 31:9, 49:6, 22, 62:10, Zechariah 9:16, 2 Neph 15:26, 21:10, 3 Neph 21:1, D&C 64:42-43

The common theme I see in the Ensign text is; The House of Israel is an Ensign to the world, a standard of who and what we are to be. The Great and Marvelous work is that Ensign and will be the sign of the last days work. The Church as a grafted entity will also play a big role. The root of Jesse (D&C 113:6 one with the priesthood holding the keys; Man like unto Moses?) will lead the Work (Davidic King? Other?) We also have the Lion of Jacob theme mixed within and playing a key role in the work. All of this will act as a warning of the Great and Terrible day of the Lord, yet to come, when the Arm of the Lord falls. Most of this will take place during the Polarizing phase when the Arm of the Lord is raised.

New things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them: Isa 42:9, Isa 48:6

One from the North: Isa 41:25-27

Avraham Gileadi. has written many books dealing with these servant figures. Gileadi sets forth a method for studying the prophecies as did the Jews. A Method of analysis based on types and parallelisms is the foundation for the type of study Gileadi proposes. His main work is focused on Isaiah.
 

"The letter of prophecy, then, assists in unraveling what several ancient sources call the "hidden things" spoken by Isaiah ….. Where the letter of prophecy is applied consistently, and where its use is inspired and influenced by the spirit of prophecy, a vast wealth of information pertinent to and essential for the last days unfolds to the reader from the words of Isaiah. "  (Avraham Gileadi. Isaiah: Four Latter-day Keys to an Ancient Book. Religious Studies Monograph Series, Isaiah and the Prophets, Vol. 10, p.127 )

Gileadi points out the role of Israel and possibly the Davidic King as a player in this servant role.  Even after reading the works of Gileadi and looking at the various servant figures it is still difficult to identify if they are one or many.

 My Servant: Isa 42:1 (Lion of Jacob?)

 Another thing to keep in mind is that the servant is not limited to a single individual. Groups of people also fulfill this role. From the Commentary on the Book of Mormon, by Reynolds and Sjodahl we have the following:
 

"Thou art my servant, O Israel. Some commentators recognize in the book of Isaiah four so-called "servant poems"; that is to say, four prophecies in poetic form, in which Israel, as a nation, is considered in the character and mission of a servant of the Lord. The first of these poems is Isa. 42:1-4; the second, 49:1-6; the third, 50:4-9; and the fourth, 52:13 to 53:12. Part of the last of these is quoted by Abinadi in his address to the priests of King Noah. (Mosiah 14)"  (Reynolds and Sjodahl. Commentary on the Book of Mormon. Vol. 1., p.213)

I believe that these sections deal with the House of Israel and other servant types to precede the second coming. The Lion of Jacob role is also prevalent in many of these servant types.

Davidic King ( By the name of David): Jer 30:9, Ezek 34:23-24, 37:24-25, Hosea 3:5

The Davidic King/Servant figure: We should know that the Ultimate Davidic King that will rule during the millennium is Jesus Christ. But lets take a look at the following scriptures dealing with a future Davidic King that will be a key player leading up to Christ's second coming.

The first instance of a servant figure by the name of David in the latter days is found in Jeremiah 30:9. I see this as prophecy dealing with the Great and Marvelous work yet to come forth. As verse 7 states this will be a wondrous event, the "day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob".  The time of Jacob?  The time of the restoration of the greatness of Israel.  The time when the God of Israel will be know as not the one who delivered them form Egypt but the one who restores the lost tribes and the greatness of Israel of Old?  The time during the Lion of Jacob? Reading through the whole chapter it is clear to me that the prophecy is concerning the gathering of Israel and its return to greatness. The only question in my mind is; When does the David figure come into play? Does verse 9 reflect the period during the Millennium (which is a perfect fit during the millennium) or does it portend the period during the gathering period prior to the millennial reign?  That will be left for each to decide.  It is not clear from just this verse or even by further extrapolation from the chapter as a whole.

Moving on to Ezekiel 34:23-24 again we have the fold of the Lord having been gathered back in and having "one" shepherd (looking at 37:22 this is to be a King, The Lords Servant David) placed to watch over them. Christ the Lord is to be their God and His servant David a prince among them.  Verse 25 goes on to describe a Millennial period so we again ask when does David the servant of Christ the prince play His role.  To me this section is clear that two persons are being identified one Christ and another His servant David, however some look at the Lord and the servant as being the same person, Christ.  That being the case this is clearly a Millennial prophecy.  I wont discount that possibility and if that is the case this whole section is misplaced and the Davidic servant section belongs in the Millennial section of this work, however I’m not convinced of that scenario at this time.  I assume that we are indeed talking about two separate people here.  The question then becomes when does this servant figure, David, start to play a role in latter day events?  Let’s move on to another section in Ezekiel where this topic is again addressed chapter 37:24-25.  We now are given a different look at the same gathering subject. One which only readers of the Book of Mormon fully understand.  This is understandably about the restoration of the House of Israel, but more importantly about the reuniting of two subsets of that house, the House of Judah and the House of Joseph.  We know that the Book of Mormon is a key event that needed to precede this event.  The book of Mormon along with the Bible and the records of the Lost 10 tribes will be united and used by the full house of Israel. Having read the Bones section 1-14 led me to look for the gathering to take place after the resurrection of the just which places this just immediately prior to Christ’s return. However we then go on into the Stick section 15-28 which fits better into the gathering that I’m aware of, the Great and Marvelous work that will precede the second coming. It is during this stick section that we have David the One shepherd the King identified.  It is clear that someone will take the newly combined stick and use it to gather the people in, but is it David, or does David come into play later on?

I see in Hosea 3:5 a simple summary of what has been identified in the other works.  Israel after their period of apostasy will again seek the Lord and have again a Davidic King (by the given name of David) to guide them.

This brings us to a point in which we find much confusion and contention. There have been many heated discussions around this topic, many  books written to address this idea and none the least, some apostate movements centered around this issue. However most of the apostate movements are based on the idea that this servant figure will come from outside the church to restore the work from a fallen state. I don't agree with this take of the servant figure.

To me this is too simple an issue to generate this much concern. In my mind it is all about a name, that being David.  So the simple question in my mind is this.  Will someone named David be one of the servant figures involved in the latter day events?

There are two schools of thought on this topic. First the McConkie school as follows;
 

  "Christ is the Branch, a name applied in ancient Israel to point attention to the great truth that the promised Messiah would come in the lineage of Israel and of David, that he would be a branch or part of that illustrious line."  (Bruce R. McConkie. Mormon Doctrine.  p.102)

Also from a statement by Keith Perkins, we have the same theme repeated;

"… For years many in the Church taught that there would arise another King David who would reign over the children of Israel. Elder McConkie, examining the scriptures and ignoring traditional teaching, determined that this David was the Lord Jesus Christ."  (Keith Perkins.  Why Are We Here?, Regional Studies, New England, Perkins. p.2-3)

I believe that Brother McConkie is correct with the interpretation of Christ being the ultimate Davidic King, however Christ did not fulfill the gathering  prophecies associated with this figure during His ministry on earth nor will He fulfill some key preparatory events prior to the Millennium, therefore we must also look at the second view on this topic.  From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism we have an explanation about the topic. The explanation starts out with a review of the great love the people had towards David and the great military victories that Israel enjoyed under His leadership. I highly recommend that you read the whole piece for yourself and look up the referenced material.  This topic requires more analysis than I will provide in this work.  There are however a few key points I would like to highlight from that work;

"… The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that" the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage" (TPJS, p.339). Elder Orson Hyde, in his dedicatory prayer on the Mount of Olives, October 24, 1841, prophesied that the Jews would return to Jerusalem and that in time a leader called David, "even a descendant from the loins of ancient David, [would] be their king" (HC 4:457). "  (VICTOR L. LUDLOW. David, Prophetic Figure of Last Days. Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Vol. 1, pages 360-361)

Although the full description does leave an out for both views, I subscribe to the view of a second Davidic King by the name of David, as expressed by Joseph Smith, since many of the events to be completed by this servant immediately precede the Second Coming. (The restoration of the House of Israel in the Great and Marvelous work, prior to the return of Christ, will be led by one of the servant figures possibly the Davidic King. (Ezk 37:18-25).  We must also keep in mind the role that the Three Nephites and John play during the gathering phase.)

Work in progress:  Some ideas from the Yahoo group: (Could the Messiah figures below be the Marred servant and Davidic King servant figures?)

Man like unto Moses: Duet 18:15-19, D&C 103:16

I know, Christ identified Himself as "the Man like unto Moses" but I feel as an Elias or other title.  This I see as a title for a servant figure in the last days. As stated in the beginning of this section, we don't know how many different servant figures there will be. Could the Davidic king also be the Man like unto Moses?  At this point I will not speculate. Brother McConkie explains the role the servant will fulfill. He points out that the redemption of Zion comes by power, and that Joseph Smith was a man like unto Moses for his time and another will take His place when the time comes.  Events like  the building up of the Temple in Zion (old and new) are a few of the tasks left to be accomplished:

 "Why should it be any different with us than it was with our fathers? They were led out of Egyptian bondage to their promised land; we shall yet be led out of the bondage of the world to that Zion which it is our destined mission to build as soon as we are prepared for the wondrous work. "And as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be. "Plagues and desolation shall prepare the way; the pharaoh of worldly opposition shall be destroyed; and miracles, comparable to the parting of the Red Sea, shall attend …The New Jerusalem with its temple shall rise before the Lord comes to reign in Millennial glory."  (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.613-614)

John Widstoe talked of that time.  He reviewed D&C 103:16 and the speculation around that verse. Men in that day declared that they were the man but Brother Widstoe pointed out that the scriptures are clear as to who this man will be. The following comment leaves little doubt who this figure will be:

"The discussion of this question among the Saints led to the following statement in the Times and Seasons (6:922) by John Taylor, then the editor: "The President [of the Church] stands in the Church as Moses did to the children of Israel, according to the revelations. " The man like unto Moses in the Church is the President of the Church." (Italics added to original for emphases)  (John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, p.248)

One question that needs to be answered is; Is the Man like unto Moses the same as the Davidic King? If so then the rebuilding of the Temple in the old Jerusalem would take on a whole new light. (See event below; The believing of the house of Israel rebuild the Temple in the Old Jerusalem)

Arm of the Lord revealed: Isa 53:1, D&C 90:10

Is see this as being the Great and Marvelous Work of the restoration of the House of Israel.  To understand Isaiah 53 we need to look at the surrounding chapters, the main theme of which is the Great and Marvelous Work.  D&C 90:10 touches on an expanded theme that includes the Lion of Jacob and other expanded events making up the Arm of the Lord revealed period.  The restoration of the House of Israel doesn't stand alone as a servant figure but will require a servant figure for its fulfillment. So the question is, will we have an individual identified as the Servant (Arm of the Lord) or will the restoration of the House of Israel be the revealing event?  

Out of Zion (Sion) will come a Deliverer who will turn away ungodliness from Jacob: Romans 11:26, Isaiah 19:20, 40:9

Will this be the man like unto Moses? The Davidic King? Someone else? Or are all three separate events?

From reading Isaiah 19:20, I would say that this is the "Man like unto Moses".  Who better to lead what Isaiah is talking about than the Man like unto Moses?  Now this leads me to another questions.  What period in the event list would this fall?  We have the Deliverer leading the people out of bondage.   I still think Isaiah 19 is talking about the United States.(a Gileadi theme)  So if that is true at what point will the United States be in bondage?   Will the Deliverer  leading this group out of bondage be the same Servant figure  leading the restoration of the House of Israel?

Isaiah 40 is a reference to a more general restoration event.  Looking at the three of these I wonder if these are three unrelated events or are they one in the same?  Romans 11 and Isaiah 40 are general enough to cover the same event but is there a link to Isaiah 19?

Other servants will play a role in the latter days.  John is one that has been identified by name to play a key role in the gathering of the House of Israel (D&C 77:14).  And let’s also keep in mind the Three Nephites ( 3 Neph 28:29-33) and the 144,000 (Rev 7:4-8).

The One Mighty and Strong: D&C 85:7

The Evil Servants: A new section that requires work from the group.  Just a holding spot for now. (Group please address these and let's work on them together)

Babylon:

At a high level we have Zion the Good Guys and Babylon the Bad Guys.  Babylon represents what is wrong in the World, the Natural Man.

The Harlot /Whore, The great and abominable church: Revelation 17:1,15-15, 19:2, 1 Nephi 14:10-12, 22:13-14, 2 Nephi 10:16, 28:18, D&C 29:21, 86:3

Coming down to the 30,000 feet level we have the next view of the Bad Guys. In some cases we still have a high level view of Good and Evil but in general this is an organization even if at a high level. As we see with the Encyclopedia of Mormonism quote this term is generally used to depict religious groups or entities that have had or should have a relationship with God. However at times this term is used to depict anyone that is in opposition to Gods People.

“The phrase "great and abominable church," which appears in an apocalyptic vision received by the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi1 in the sixth century B.C. (1 Ne. 13:6), refers to the church of the devil and is understood by Latter-day Saints to be equivalent to the "great whore that sitteth upon many waters" described in Revelation 17:1. This "whore of all the earth" is identified by Nephi's brother Jacob as all those who are against God and who fight against Zion, in all periods of time (2 Ne. 10:16). …” (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.2, GREAT AND ABOMINABLE CHURCH)

The more specific usage of this term is usually dealing with those who claim to know God and thus the Term Harlot or Whore.  Fore example those entrusted to keep the Gospel who have knowingly change the contents qualify as Whores.

”But with the Bible it was not and is not so. It is now in the hands of intellectuals and unbelievers and ministers whose delight it is to twist and pervert its doctrines and to spiritualize away the plain meanings of all its important parts. And it once was in the sole and exclusive care and custody of an abominable organization, founded by the devil himself, likened prophetically unto a great whore, whose great aim and purpose was to destroy the souls of men in the name of religion” (Monte S. Nyman and Robert L. Millet, The Joseph Smith Translation, p.12)

Let's try to associate latter-day figures or groups who qualify under this heading. Some highlights from Stephen R Robinson’s article, that all should read, will help set the tone for this analysis:

“…… Babylon, we should be careful to distinguish between her and the beast in Revelation 17 They do not represent the same things, though the beast supports the great and abominable church. (See Rev. 17:3, 7.) ….the “woman … arrayed in purple and scarlet” described in Revelation 17-18, is specifically the Satanic counterpart of the virtuous woman in chapter 12 who symbolizes the church of Jesus Christ that was forced into the wilderness (see JST, Rev. 12:6)—that is, which became inaccessible to human beings. Symbolizing the counterfeit church as an immoral woman underscores the nature of her evil: she is physically and spiritually unfaithful, representing both sexual immorality and idolatry, the twin abominations of the Old Testament. Thus, she is the “mother of abominations.”……woman represents false religion, the beasts, the image of the beast, and its horns represent other aspects of the devil’s kingdom. The “Mother of Harlots” cannot represent kingdoms or governments—the beast and its horns do that (see Rev. 17:12; also JST, Rev. 13:1)—but she can represent the false beliefs and ideologies that often capture and motivate governments. …………Once we understand that the term great and abominable church has two uses, the one open (inclusive and archetypical), the other closed (exclusive and historical), the rest becomes easier. …… slay the saints of God nor seek to control civil governments nor pursue wealth, luxury, and sexual immorality……….It would be an error to blame some modern denomination for the activities of an ancient great and abominable church. The other error is to go too far the other way, dehistoricizing the abominable church altogether. The term then becomes merely a vague symbol for all the disassociated evil in the world. We cannot, in the face of the scriptural evidence, accept this view. For if we do, we shall not be able to recognize the categories and know who is playing the role of Babylon in our own times or in times to come. Thus, we must, on the one hand, avoid the temptation to identify the role of the great and abominable church so completely with one particular entity that we do not recognize the part when it is played by some other entity. At the same time, we must remember that the role will be played by some entity or coalition, and we must be able to tell by their characteristic fruits which is Zion and which is Babylon………. The hellenization of Christianity is a phenomenon that scholars of Christian history have long recognized. Hellenization refers to the imposition of Greek culture and philosophy upon the cultures of the East. The result was a synthesis of East and West, a melting pot of popular culture that was virtually worldwide. In the realm of religion, however, synthesis means compromise, and when we speak in terms of the gospel, compromise with popular beliefs means apostasy from the truth……..”(Stephen E. Robinson, “Warring against the Saints of God,” Ensign, Jan 1988, 34)

In the past the Harlot was the group(s) that Hellenized the Gospel. In the latter-days it will be a religious movement that will polarize the World and gain control of all the world with the help of government(s) (The Beast).  Some members of the group are looking at the World Council of Churches as a possible candidate for this role.

Some Gray (as in Clint Gray) speculation; Could the foundation of the modern day group be Secular Humanism? More thoughts on this later on but for now let's review the fate of this group.

 “The fate of the great and abominable church is described in both ancient and modern scriptures (Jer. 51:37; Rev. 18:21; 1 Ne. 14:15-16; 22:14; D&C 1:16): Though the nations of the earth will gather together against them, "the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth" are promised redemption even if it requires power sent down from heaven, as if by fire (1 Ne. 14:14; 22:17). When Jesus Christ returns, he will claim his own and reject those who have opposed him (Mal. 4:1-3; 2 Thes. 2:6-10; 1 Ne. 22:23-26; see Jesus Christ: Second Coming of Jesus Christ). As the Savior institutes his millennial reign, great will be the fall of Babylon, the harlot, and the great and abominable church (Rev. 18; 2 Ne. 28:18), for every knee will bow and every tongue confess, with thankfulness, that Jesus is the Christ (Isa. 45:23; Mosiah 27:31). “(Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.2, GREAT AND ABOMINABLE CHURCH)

The Dragon: Revelation 12:9

”There is a mistranslation of the word dragon in the second verse. The original word signifies the devil, and not dragon, as translated. In chapter 12, verse 9, it reads, "That old serpent, called the devil," and it ought to be translated devil in this case, and not dragon.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843–44, p.293)

The Beast: Revelation 11:7,13-20,

From the Harlot section we understand the Beast to be a governmental institution or should we say a theocratic institution based on the relationship between the Harlot and the Beast.  A world wide entity playing a Key role in the latter-days.  The Beast having seven heads and ten horns and crowns.  I understand that the heads represent governments and the horns (power) and ten crowns representing total domination (World Wide Government).

“[p.18] While the revelator John, who was the last remaining member of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles on the Eastern Hemisphere, was in banishment upon the Isle of Patmos, he saw the image of a beast, representing a power that should arise in the earth, make war upon the Saints and overcome them. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them; and power was given Him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." This declaration of the Scriptures is very broad, indicating clearly that the Saints should be overcome, and the power of the beast should be so extensive as to cover all "kindred, tongues and nations." thus leaving the people destitute of divine authority and bereft of the glorious plan of redemption.” (Matthias F. Cowley, Cowley's Talks on Doctrine p.18)

”John is here seeing a beast in heaven, which is "in the likeness of the kingdoms of the earth" (I. V. verse 1), that is, the beast is being used to symbolize certain unnamed kingdoms on earth and to show their dealings toward the saints and the cause of righteousness. “(Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.3, p.521)

”7-8. "In the last days" (Teachings, p. 293), the beast shall have power over every nation, and shall make war with the saints and prevail over all except those who are true and faithful to the standards of the restored gospel.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.3, p.523)

”3, 7-18. These passages dealing with the beast upon which the woman sat, and of the relationship of various kingdoms to the events seen, is a perfect illustration of what the Prophet had in mind when he said: "Whenever God gives a vision of an image, or beast, or figure of any kind, he always holds himself responsible to give a revelation or interpretation of the meaning thereof, otherwise we are not responsible or accountable for our belief in it. Don't be afraid of being damned for not knowing the meaning of a vision or figure, if God has not given a revelation or interpretation of the subject." (Teachings, p. 291.) Until such time as further revelation is received it is fruitless to speculate on the detailed meaning of these things. Brief commentary will be made only of those portions where an inspired interpretation has been made or where the meaning is clear because of other revealed truths.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.3, p.554 - p.555)

A little more speculation on my part here.  Looking at the comment by Joseph Smith that the Beast is actually in heaven, and it is His ima